Army Air Force SGT Howard Rothman, killed in World War II, remains unaccounted-for.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart. Service # 32075843
Howard enlisted in the Army on June 17, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey. At the time, he was employed as a Hotel and/or restaurant manager and single, without dependents.
SGT Rothman served with the 38th Bomber Squadron of the 30th Bomber Group, stationed at Hawkins Field on Betio Island of the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. On January 21, 1944, the Radar Operator / Gunner of the B-24J #42-72999, was among the crew of 10 on a bombing mission over Roi Island. Possibly due to engine trouble, they crash about 15 minutes after takeoff approximately 3 miles off the east coast of Tarawa. Two explosions were heard by ground crews in Tarawa after they hit the water. The entire crew died in this crash.
Rescue crews recovered the remains of five individuals; however, SGT Rothman was not among those recovered. The three identified sets of remains and two unidentified sets were reportedly interred in Cemetery No. 33 on Betio Island, one of several cemeteries established on the island after the U.S. seized the island from the Japanese in November 1943.
Following the war, the U.S. Army’s 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947. Using U.S. Marine Corps records, they began the task of consolidating all the remains from isolated burial sites into a single cemetery called Lone Palm Cemetery. The remains of the B-24J crew were believed to be among those moved; however, SGT Rothman’s remains were not identified. Howard was declared "non-recoverable".
Throughout 1949, 94 sets of unidentified Tarawa remains were interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, known as the Punchbowl.
Army Air Force Sergeant Howard Rothman is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. His name is permanently inscribed within Court 7 of the "Courts of the Missing".
------------------------------------
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-72999:
Alenier, Stanley J. - 2nd Lt, Navigator, NY - MIA
Dabrowski, Stephen J. - 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NJ - Recovered
Fenzel, John F. - S/Sgt, Gunner, MD - MIA
Johnson, George M. - 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, DE - Recovered
Lurcott, Howard T. - 1st Lt, Pilot, MO - Recovered
Myers, Arthur E. - S/Sgt, Gunner, OH - Recovered
Polzien, Donald L. - S/Sgt, Engineer, IA - MIA
Rothman, Howard - Sgt, Radar Operator, NJ - MIA
Shaffer, Carl M. - S/Sgt, Radio Operator, PA - Recovered
Shell, James W. - S/Sgt, Gunner, GA - MIA
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart. Service # 32075843
Howard enlisted in the Army on June 17, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey. At the time, he was employed as a Hotel and/or restaurant manager and single, without dependents.
SGT Rothman served with the 38th Bomber Squadron of the 30th Bomber Group, stationed at Hawkins Field on Betio Island of the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. On January 21, 1944, the Radar Operator / Gunner of the B-24J #42-72999, was among the crew of 10 on a bombing mission over Roi Island. Possibly due to engine trouble, they crash about 15 minutes after takeoff approximately 3 miles off the east coast of Tarawa. Two explosions were heard by ground crews in Tarawa after they hit the water. The entire crew died in this crash.
Rescue crews recovered the remains of five individuals; however, SGT Rothman was not among those recovered. The three identified sets of remains and two unidentified sets were reportedly interred in Cemetery No. 33 on Betio Island, one of several cemeteries established on the island after the U.S. seized the island from the Japanese in November 1943.
Following the war, the U.S. Army’s 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947. Using U.S. Marine Corps records, they began the task of consolidating all the remains from isolated burial sites into a single cemetery called Lone Palm Cemetery. The remains of the B-24J crew were believed to be among those moved; however, SGT Rothman’s remains were not identified. Howard was declared "non-recoverable".
Throughout 1949, 94 sets of unidentified Tarawa remains were interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, known as the Punchbowl.
Army Air Force Sergeant Howard Rothman is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. His name is permanently inscribed within Court 7 of the "Courts of the Missing".
------------------------------------
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-72999:
Alenier, Stanley J. - 2nd Lt, Navigator, NY - MIA
Dabrowski, Stephen J. - 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NJ - Recovered
Fenzel, John F. - S/Sgt, Gunner, MD - MIA
Johnson, George M. - 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, DE - Recovered
Lurcott, Howard T. - 1st Lt, Pilot, MO - Recovered
Myers, Arthur E. - S/Sgt, Gunner, OH - Recovered
Polzien, Donald L. - S/Sgt, Engineer, IA - MIA
Rothman, Howard - Sgt, Radar Operator, NJ - MIA
Shaffer, Carl M. - S/Sgt, Radio Operator, PA - Recovered
Shell, James W. - S/Sgt, Gunner, GA - MIA
Army Air Force SGT Howard Rothman, killed in World War II, remains unaccounted-for.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart. Service # 32075843
Howard enlisted in the Army on June 17, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey. At the time, he was employed as a Hotel and/or restaurant manager and single, without dependents.
SGT Rothman served with the 38th Bomber Squadron of the 30th Bomber Group, stationed at Hawkins Field on Betio Island of the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. On January 21, 1944, the Radar Operator / Gunner of the B-24J #42-72999, was among the crew of 10 on a bombing mission over Roi Island. Possibly due to engine trouble, they crash about 15 minutes after takeoff approximately 3 miles off the east coast of Tarawa. Two explosions were heard by ground crews in Tarawa after they hit the water. The entire crew died in this crash.
Rescue crews recovered the remains of five individuals; however, SGT Rothman was not among those recovered. The three identified sets of remains and two unidentified sets were reportedly interred in Cemetery No. 33 on Betio Island, one of several cemeteries established on the island after the U.S. seized the island from the Japanese in November 1943.
Following the war, the U.S. Army’s 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947. Using U.S. Marine Corps records, they began the task of consolidating all the remains from isolated burial sites into a single cemetery called Lone Palm Cemetery. The remains of the B-24J crew were believed to be among those moved; however, SGT Rothman’s remains were not identified. Howard was declared "non-recoverable".
Throughout 1949, 94 sets of unidentified Tarawa remains were interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, known as the Punchbowl.
Army Air Force Sergeant Howard Rothman is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. His name is permanently inscribed within Court 7 of the "Courts of the Missing".
------------------------------------
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-72999:
Alenier, Stanley J. - 2nd Lt, Navigator, NY - MIA
Dabrowski, Stephen J. - 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NJ - Recovered
Fenzel, John F. - S/Sgt, Gunner, MD - MIA
Johnson, George M. - 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, DE - Recovered
Lurcott, Howard T. - 1st Lt, Pilot, MO - Recovered
Myers, Arthur E. - S/Sgt, Gunner, OH - Recovered
Polzien, Donald L. - S/Sgt, Engineer, IA - MIA
Rothman, Howard - Sgt, Radar Operator, NJ - MIA
Shaffer, Carl M. - S/Sgt, Radio Operator, PA - Recovered
Shell, James W. - S/Sgt, Gunner, GA - MIA
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart. Service # 32075843
Howard enlisted in the Army on June 17, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey. At the time, he was employed as a Hotel and/or restaurant manager and single, without dependents.
SGT Rothman served with the 38th Bomber Squadron of the 30th Bomber Group, stationed at Hawkins Field on Betio Island of the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. On January 21, 1944, the Radar Operator / Gunner of the B-24J #42-72999, was among the crew of 10 on a bombing mission over Roi Island. Possibly due to engine trouble, they crash about 15 minutes after takeoff approximately 3 miles off the east coast of Tarawa. Two explosions were heard by ground crews in Tarawa after they hit the water. The entire crew died in this crash.
Rescue crews recovered the remains of five individuals; however, SGT Rothman was not among those recovered. The three identified sets of remains and two unidentified sets were reportedly interred in Cemetery No. 33 on Betio Island, one of several cemeteries established on the island after the U.S. seized the island from the Japanese in November 1943.
Following the war, the U.S. Army’s 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947. Using U.S. Marine Corps records, they began the task of consolidating all the remains from isolated burial sites into a single cemetery called Lone Palm Cemetery. The remains of the B-24J crew were believed to be among those moved; however, SGT Rothman’s remains were not identified. Howard was declared "non-recoverable".
Throughout 1949, 94 sets of unidentified Tarawa remains were interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, known as the Punchbowl.
Army Air Force Sergeant Howard Rothman is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. His name is permanently inscribed within Court 7 of the "Courts of the Missing".
------------------------------------
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-72999:
Alenier, Stanley J. - 2nd Lt, Navigator, NY - MIA
Dabrowski, Stephen J. - 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NJ - Recovered
Fenzel, John F. - S/Sgt, Gunner, MD - MIA
Johnson, George M. - 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, DE - Recovered
Lurcott, Howard T. - 1st Lt, Pilot, MO - Recovered
Myers, Arthur E. - S/Sgt, Gunner, OH - Recovered
Polzien, Donald L. - S/Sgt, Engineer, IA - MIA
Rothman, Howard - Sgt, Radar Operator, NJ - MIA
Shaffer, Carl M. - S/Sgt, Radio Operator, PA - Recovered
Shell, James W. - S/Sgt, Gunner, GA - MIA
Inscription
ROTHMAN HOWARD
SGT • 819 BOMB SQ 30 BOMB GP (H) • N J
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